Market rankings · Colorado
Sit-down restaurants in Colorado
Every metro area, small-town market and county in Colorado, ranked by the Groundwork market score for sit-down restaurants, with competitor counts and household spending for each.
- Listings
- 14,663
- 4,174 chain locations (28%)
- Official establishments
- 5,074
- −1.7% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $10.5B
- On food away from home
- Listings per 10k households
- 61.8
- In line with the U.S.
- Spending per listing
- $716K
- 8% above the U.S.
- Rank among states
- #16 of 51
- Market score 59 · Upper middle
A site report maps the sit-down restaurants on map listings around any address in Colorado by name and distance, and the spending within reach.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardSurvey estimates 2020–2024 · population estimates 2025 · official business counts 2023 · map listings September 2026 · Data credits · How we measure
What this means
There are 14,663 sit-down restaurants on map listings in Colorado as of September 2026. Chain locations make up 28% of them, against 29% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 61.8, in line with the U.S. rate of 61.3.
Households in Colorado spend about $10.5B a year on food away from home, or $4,421 per household, 9% above the U.S. average. Spread across 14,663 sit-down restaurants, that is $716K per restaurant, 8% above the U.S. figure of $664K. The spending figure covers all food away from home, not only sit-down restaurants.
Official counts show 5,074 businesses with payroll classed as full-service restaurants in Colorado in 2023, down 1.7% from 2019. That is one for every 468 households, against one for every 500 across the U.S. Across the U.S., the count rose 1.5% over the same years. Since fiscal 2022, 361 SBA-backed loans worth $224M have gone to businesses classed as full-service restaurants in Colorado.
Among the 50 states and DC, Colorado ranks #16 for sit-down restaurants, with a Groundwork market score of 59 (upper middle). Of the 7 scored metro areas in or partly in Colorado, the Greeley metro area scores highest (94). Of the 10 scored small-town markets in or partly in Colorado, the Fort Morgan area scores highest (61).
Every market in Colorado for sit-down restaurants
Download the ranking (CSV)Numbered by Groundwork market score among the markets based in Colorado, highest first; the U.S. rank compares each market with every other of its kind. A metro area that crosses a state line is listed in each state it reaches, and numbered only in the state its page is under. How the score works.
Metro areas
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Greeley, CO | 94 | 509 | 41.0 | $1.1M | +14.2% | #1 of 387 |
| 2Grand Junction, CO | 74 | 287 | 43.6 | $859K | +4.4% | #29 of 387 |
| 3Colorado Springs, CO | 71 | 1,619 | 53.6 | $793K | +3.1% | #44 of 387 |
| 4Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | 68 | 845 | 54.8 | $792K | +4.8% | #59 of 387 |
| 5Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 65 | 7,528 | 61.6 | $760K | +4.1% | #80 of 387 |
| 6Pueblo, CO | 50 | 306 | 44.7 | $780K | +0.6% | #185 of 387 |
| 7Boulder, CO | 32 | 1,051 | 76.7 | $615K | −0.7% | #326 of 387 |
Small-town markets
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Fort Morgan, CO | 61 | 49 | 44.3 | $786K | +4.2% | #156 of 538 |
| 2Montrose, CO | 59 | 94 | 52.0 | $695K | +4.1% | #176 of 538 |
| 3Cañon City, CO | 57 | 75 | 41.7 | $815K | +2.4% | #194 of 538 |
| 4Durango, CO | 42 | 182 | 74.7 | $552K | +2.2% | #354 of 538 |
| 5Sterling, CO | 35 | 39 | 47.5 | $676K | −2.7% | #420 of 538 |
| 6Steamboat Springs, CO | 34 | 156 | 93.6 | $469K | +0.9% | #437 of 538 |
| 7Rifle, CO | 33 | 371 | 113.7 | $381K | +1.2% | #450 of 538 |
| 8Breckenridge, CO | 32 | 254 | 163.2 | $292K | +1.1% | #457 of 538 |
| 9Alamosa, CO | 27 | 69 | 60.2 | $518K | +2.1% | #486 of 538 |
| 10Edwards, CO | 24 | 287 | 130.1 | $359K | −2.4% | #504 of 538 |
Counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Elbert County, CO | 95 | 17 | 17.0 | $3.1M | +16.5% | #3 of 2,405 |
| 2Douglas County, CO | 88 | 607 | 43.4 | $1.3M | +10.9% | #38 of 2,405 |
| 3Park County, CO | 86 | 32 | 35.6 | $1.2M | +5.1% | #53 of 2,405 |
| 4Weld County, CO | 86 | 509 | 41.0 | $1.1M | +14.2% | #56 of 2,405 |
| 5Broomfield County, CO | 77 | 160 | 50.4 | $1M | +6.3% | #194 of 2,405 |
| 6Adams County, CO | 77 | 977 | 51.8 | $836K | +6.6% | #205 of 2,405 |
| 7Mesa County, CO | 68 | 287 | 43.6 | $859K | +4.4% | #437 of 2,405 |
| 8El Paso County, CO | 65 | 1,556 | 53.6 | $794K | +3.2% | #540 of 2,405 |
| 9Larimer County, CO | 64 | 845 | 54.8 | $792K | +4.8% | #575 of 2,405 |
| 10Jefferson County, CO | 61 | 1,234 | 51.0 | $936K | −0.5% | #696 of 2,405 |
| 11Arapahoe County, CO | 61 | 1,476 | 57.4 | $796K | +2.8% | #712 of 2,405 |
| 12Morgan County, CO | 53 | 49 | 44.3 | $786K | +4.2% | #1,035 of 2,405 |
| 13Teller County, CO | 53 | 63 | 53.1 | $761K | 0.0% | #1,038 of 2,405 |
| 14Montrose County, CO | 50 | 94 | 52.0 | $695K | +4.1% | #1,175 of 2,405 |
| 15Fremont County, CO | 49 | 75 | 41.7 | $815K | +2.4% | #1,203 of 2,405 |
| 16Pueblo County, CO | 49 | 306 | 44.7 | $780K | +0.6% | #1,208 of 2,405 |
| 17Moffat County, CO | 46 | 27 | 50.1 | $723K | −1.1% | #1,358 of 2,405 |
| 18Prowers County, CO | 43 | 23 | 48.6 | $655K | −1.1% | #1,498 of 2,405 |
| 19Denver County, CO | 39 | 2,953 | 88.0 | $507K | +3.2% | #1,703 of 2,405 |
| 20Boulder County, CO | 36 | 1,051 | 76.7 | $615K | −0.7% | #1,804 of 2,405 |
| 21La Plata County, CO | 36 | 182 | 74.7 | $552K | +2.2% | #1,811 of 2,405 |
| 22Chaffee County, CO | 35 | 103 | 104.4 | $389K | +6.9% | #1,858 of 2,405 |
| 23Garfield County, CO | 34 | 197 | 84.2 | $500K | +2.7% | #1,904 of 2,405 |
| 24Archuleta County, CO | 34 | 58 | 98.0 | $401K | +6.6% | #1,907 of 2,405 |
| 25Grand County, CO | 33 | 91 | 121.7 | $342K | +4.8% | #1,944 of 2,405 |
Show all 64 counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26Delta County, CO | 32 | 72 | 55.6 | $595K | +3.6% | #1,964 of 2,405 |
| 27Gunnison County, CO | 32 | 76 | 89.5 | $452K | +2.9% | #1,984 of 2,405 |
| 28Routt County, CO | 31 | 129 | 114.4 | $415K | +2.0% | #2,022 of 2,405 |
| 29Logan County, CO | 30 | 39 | 47.5 | $676K | −2.7% | #2,031 of 2,405 |
| 30Montezuma County, CO | 30 | 68 | 60.3 | $577K | +3.0% | #2,043 of 2,405 |
| 31Summit County, CO | 28 | 231 | 184.1 | $266K | +0.9% | #2,138 of 2,405 |
| 32Eagle County, CO | 22 | 287 | 130.1 | $359K | −2.4% | #2,285 of 2,405 |
| 33Pitkin County, CO | 20 | 174 | 188.8 | $245K | −4.2% | #2,315 of 2,405 |
| 34Alamosa County, CO | 18 | 53 | 79.7 | $400K | +1.9% | #2,346 of 2,405 |
| 35Otero County, CO | 14 | 48 | 63.3 | $492K | −5.2% | #2,378 of 2,405 |
| 36Rio Grande County, CO | 13 | 39 | 76.0 | $454K | −3.9% | #2,383 of 2,405 |
| 37Las Animas County, CO | 10 | 57 | 87.5 | $356K | −0.7% | #2,394 of 2,405 |
| Yuma County, CO | Not scored | 29 | 71.1 | $483K | −0.8% | |
| Clear Creek County, CO | Not scored | 41 | 87.7 | $525K | −3.9% | |
| San Miguel County, CO | Not scored | 61 | 132.5 | $319K | −3.7% | |
| Conejos County, CO | Not scored | 6 | 19.0 | $1.7M | +1.0% | |
| Lake County, CO | Not scored | 23 | 76.2 | $560K | +1.9% | |
| Kit Carson County, CO | Not scored | 20 | 69.1 | $522K | +0.1% | |
| Huerfano County, CO | Not scored | 26 | 83.9 | $379K | +2.7% | |
| Saguache County, CO | Not scored | 10 | 29.4 | $1.1M | +5.3% | |
| Rio Blanco County, CO | Not scored | 17 | 60.6 | $562K | +2.5% | |
| Gilpin County, CO | Not scored | 31 | 99.3 | $446K | +4.4% | |
| Crowley County, CO | Not scored | 3 | 22.4 | $1.3M | −0.5% | |
| Lincoln County, CO | Not scored | 12 | 60.9 | $550K | −0.4% | |
| Bent County, CO | Not scored | 1 | 5.3 | $5.5M | +4.5% | |
| Custer County, CO | Not scored | 17 | 63.6 | $581K | +18.3% | |
| Ouray County, CO | Not scored | 30 | 114.4 | $359K | +7.9% | |
| Washington County, CO | Not scored | 9 | 43.5 | $814K | −1.6% | |
| Phillips County, CO | Not scored | 20 | 102.5 | $374K | −2.4% | |
| Costilla County, CO | Not scored | 10 | 60.6 | $456K | +5.1% | |
| Baca County, CO | Not scored | 5 | 30.2 | $973K | −3.8% | |
| Dolores County, CO | Not scored | 2 | 15.9 | $2.3M | +5.8% | |
| Sedgwick County, CO | Not scored | 2 | 19.6 | $1.6M | −6.0% | |
| Cheyenne County, CO | Not scored | 3 | 38.2 | $948K | −1.9% | |
| Kiowa County, CO | Not scored | 3 | 51.3 | $627K | −2.8% | |
| Jackson County, CO | Not scored | 5 | 76.0 | $423K | −12.2% | |
| Hinsdale County, CO | Not scored | 11 | 215.3 | $174K | −4.6% | |
| Mineral County, CO | Not scored | 11 | 285.0 | $119K | +4.6% | |
| San Juan County, CO | Not scored | 10 | 250.6 | $138K | +14.5% |
Markets with fewer than 5 sit-down restaurants on map listings, and counties under 10,000 people, aren’t scored; they’re listed last in each table.
Questions
How many sit-down restaurants are in Colorado?
As of September 2026, map listings count 14,663 sit-down restaurants in Colorado. 4,174 of them (28%) are chain locations. The listings count restaurants of every cuisine, pizza included. Official counts show 5,074 businesses with payroll classed as full-service restaurants in 2023, down 1.7% from 2019. Another 857 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts.
How much do households in Colorado spend on food away from home?
About $10.5B a year, or $4,421 per household. That is 9% above the U.S. average (an index of 109, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 14,663 sit-down restaurants on map listings, it comes to $716K per restaurant. That spending covers all food away from home, which sit-down restaurants share with other businesses in the trade. It is estimated from the incomes of the 2,374,218 households in Colorado and national spending patterns by income.
How does Colorado compare with the U.S. for sit-down restaurants?
Colorado has 61.8 sit-down restaurants per 10,000 households, in line with the U.S. rate of 61.3. Spending per restaurant is $716K, 8% above the U.S. figure of $664K. At the U.S. ratio of sit-down restaurants to household spending, Colorado would have about 15,818, against 14,663 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 468 households, against one for every 500 across the U.S. The official count fell 1.7% from 2019 to 2023, against +1.5% for the U.S.
Which market in Colorado has the highest market score for sit-down restaurants?
Among 7 scored metro areas in or partly in Colorado, the Greeley metro area scores highest, at 94 (very high). Among 10 scored small-town markets in or partly in Colorado, the Fort Morgan area scores highest, at 61 (upper middle). Among 37 scored counties in Colorado, Elbert County scores highest, at 95 (very high). Scores compare each market with others of its kind across the U.S.
What is the Groundwork market score?
The Groundwork market score runs from 0 to 100 and compares a market with others of its kind for one business type: states with states, metro areas with metro areas, small-town markets and counties with their own. It weighs household spending per competitor (35%), households per business with payroll (25%), population growth (20%) and spending power (20%), each ranked against those peers. A higher score means that, taken together, the market has more household spending and more households for each business already there, faster population growth and more spending per household than similar markets. It describes a market, not any one site or deal. Colorado scores 59 for sit-down restaurants (upper middle), #16 of the 50 states and DC.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Colorado. It maps the sit-down restaurants on map listings near the site and sizes the households and spending within the distance you choose. New accounts get 10 actions over 3 days, no card.
Sit-down restaurants in other states
All 51 states
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Top markets for sit-down restaurants across the U.S. · All business types in Colorado
Related business types in Colorado
- Restaurants and cafes26,826 listings
- Fast food and sandwich shops3,062 listings
- Pizza1,634 listings
- Coffee shops and cafes3,237 listings
- Bakeries and dessert shops2,041 listings
Screening a site or an acquisition in Colorado?
A site report maps the competitors on map listings near an address and sizes the households and spending around it.
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are estimates for research only. Not investment or real estate advice.